Tender Loving Care
by Little Sparrow
Summary: Sharon spends some quality time with Andrea and Rusty after a case brings back some memories she would rather forget. Written for defyingnormalcy as part of the Secret Santa Gift Exchange on majorcrimes Livejournal.


"Rusty, could you give me a hand with dinner?" Andrea called over the sound of a sizzling skillet.

Rusty hastened into the kitchen. "Sure. What's cooking? I thought Sharon was handling dinner tonight."

"She's running a little late, so I went ahead and started making chicken stir-fry. Could you chop up some peppers and onions for me?"

He nodded and started slicing a green pepper. Andrea couldn't help but smile. The first few times she had spent the night at Sharon's, she was surprised by Rusty's comfort level in the kitchen. He was always volunteering to fix dinner, suggesting new meals, and helping plan weekly grocery lists. With Sharon and Rusty, cooking had become just as much of a family activity as it had when Andrea was a young girl in her mother's kitchen. Each meal was a collaborative effort that made everyone feel at home.

"So did Sharon have to go to another crime scene tonight?" Rusty handed Andrea a bowl full of chopped peppers. The pan hissed as she added them to the mixture of marinated chicken and cooking oil.

"No. She texted earlier that an interview wasn't going very well, but she expected to make it home for dinner. You can go ahead and set the table. It's almost done."

Moments later, the sound of a key in the lock alerted Sharon's arrival. The exhausted Captain was greeted by the smell of sautéed onions and the sound of her loved ones milling around in the kitchen.

"Hey, Sharon. Dinner's almost ready," Rusty called.

A barefooted Sharon shuffled into the kitchen, a wan smile on her face. "It smells wonderful."

Andrea wrapped her arms around Sharon's waist and leaned in for their usual welcome home kiss. Sharon dodged the kiss, abruptly pulling out of the embrace.

"I'm sorry, Andrea. I need a shower first." Sharon said with an apologetic look on her face.

The younger woman's hurt morphed into concern as she took in her lover's appearance. Sharon's shoulders were slumped, her arms were folded around her middle, and her eyes were unfocused and sad. Andrea knew better than to question Sharon immediately. Her lover tended to withdraw when something was seriously bothering her. Any prodding would only increase Sharon's obvious discomfort.

"Okay," Andrea spoke softly. "There's fresh towels in the bathroom. I'll keep a plate warm for you."

"Thank you." She squeezed Andrea's hand, smiled lightly at Rusty, and disappeared into the hall.

"Did something happen? She seems kinda…out of it," Rusty said once Sharon was out of earshot.

"I don't know," Andrea shrugged. "We'll just give her some space and see if she wants to talk about it."

Rusty nodded his understanding and began spooning rice onto their dinner plates. Once they had settled into place at the table, Andrea kept the conversation as light as possible. They chatted about his schoolwork, the book she was currently reading, and a movie coming out the following weekend they planned to see. The ease and normalcy of the conversation helped them both avoid worrying too much about Sharon. The worry grew, however, when they managed to finish dinner and the dishes without so much as a peep from the Captain.

"I'm going to go check on Sharon. You should start on your homework before it gets too late." Andrea ruffled Rusty's hair affectionately.

"All right, all right," Rusty groaned.

Andrea walked quietly down the hall toward the master bedroom. A soft yellow light spilled from the cracked door. She knocked lightly as she entered the silent room. Sharon was lying on top of the bed, wrapped in a fluffy white robe that she usually saved for when she was sick.

Andrea leaned against the doorframe to observe her lover. Sharon's eyes were closed but the rise and fall of her chest indicated she was not sleeping. Some of the color had returned to her face, thanks to the heat of the shower. Despite the extra warmth, Sharon still had her arms crossed tightly like she was cold.

"Do you want to talk about it?" Andrea asked quietly.

Sharon opened her eyes and reached out her arms. The blonde wasted no time in snuggling against her lover. Sharon wrapped her arms around Andrea and pressed their bodies as close as possible. They embraced quietly for several minutes. The blonde peppered little kisses on her lover's neck, content to give her all the time she needed to feel comfortable.

"It's really not worth getting too upset," Sharon sighed. "I just had an extremely stressful day. We spent hours tracking down a suspect who strangled a young woman. He refused to speak during the interrogation. Sykes, Flynn, Tao…nobody could get him to talk, so I decided to try."

Sharon squeezed Andrea gently. "I barely asked a single question before he spat in my face."

Andrea sat up, her body rigid and eyes wide. "_What?"_

The fury in her lover's voice was unmistakable. "Andrea, please don't worry. It wasn't a big deal…"

"Not a big deal?" She shook her head incredulously. "Sharon, that is assault on an officer! How the hell did this happen? Were you in there alone?"

"Honey, I know you're angry. I am too, but please just listen." The brunette said evenly.

Andrea bit down on her tongue to keep her rising anger at bay. She felt sick to her stomach at the thought of someone disrespecting and hurting Sharon. Her mind raced through all the ways she wanted to dismember the lowlife who dared to mistreat her beloved Captain.

"We had no idea he was going to do such a thing. He never moved or got out of his seat. He just…grinned and then spat at me. I was stunned for a second but Sanchez tackled him instantly. DDA Rios saw what happened from the interview room and filed charges for assault on an officer."

"Why didn't you call me?" Andrea asked softly.

"I didn't want to worry you," Sharon held both of the blonde's hands in her own. "I was never in any serious danger, Andrea. I promise."

The younger woman took a deep breath, releasing some of the tension in her body. Sharon pulled her closer and buried her face in thick blonde hair. Her hands caressed Andrea's back in small circles while Andrea threaded her fingers in Sharon's hair.

"Normally, something like this wouldn't bother me very much." Sharon said gently. "Everyone on the force has had a hostile interrogation. But today reminded me of things I would rather forget. Do you remember Lieutenant Sam Roscoe?"

Andrea pursed her lips in thought. "No. Must have been before I started working in this division."

"Sam and I were in the academy together. He was an excellent cop and a good friend. After the shooting," She paused, fighting a flood of memories. "Sam was a wonderful support for me during such a difficult time. Jack and I were even guests at his wedding."

She sighed. "Then we lost touch after I joined FID. Not long after my transfer, I had to investigate Sam for taking bribes and covering up a drug trafficking ring. I hated what I had to do, but Sam was guilty. My hands were tied."

"I was present when Sam was arrested. As soon as he saw me, he spat in my face and called me a traitor." Sharon closed her eyes tightly. "All I could think about when Jonathan Park spat at me today was the disgusted look on Sam's face when the FBI took him into custody."

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Andrea kissed her lover's jaw. "My brave Captain."

Sharon hummed, too exhausted to argue.

"Will you promise me something?" The blonde whispered in her ear. "Call me the next time something like this happens. I understand you need time to process your feelings, just please let me know that something is wrong. I will worry about you regardless but I worry more when you come home so upset and I have no idea why."

Sharon cradled Andrea's face in her hands. "I promise."

She leaned forward and kissed Andrea until she felt the younger woman smile against her lips. "You might be happy to hear that Sanchez smashed our suspect's face into the table before hauling him away."

Andrea grunted. "Good."

The Captain laughed, kissing the top of Andrea's head. "Thank you for listening."

"Thank you for sharing with me." She nuzzled the older woman's chest and took comfort in the sound of her heartbeat.

"Sharon?" A knock on the bedroom door pulled both women out of their quiet relaxation.

"Come in," Sharon called with a smile. Rusty was always respectful of Sharon's private space and he was even more cautious when Andrea stayed over.

Rusty peeked his head in. "Uh, I made some tea. I thought you might want it since you skipped dinner. I left the pot on the stove."

"Thank you," Sharon smiled warmly. "Could you pour a cup for all of us? I'm thinking we could all unwind in front of the television tonight."

"Okay," Rusty said brightly, heartened by Sharon's improved mood. "I'll look for a movie we can watch."

"No vampires, werewolves, or other vicious creatures please. I would rather not give Sharon nightmares," Andrea teased.

"Reality is gruesome enough, thank you very much." She said primly.

"Yeah, I know. Only romantic comedies and _Winnie the Pooh _for Sharon." Rusty yelled on his way to the living room. Andrea giggled, earning her a glare from Sharon.

"Don't worry, Captain. We only tease because we love you." She got off the bed and held out a hand for Sharon.

"That's fortunate. I only accept it because I love both of you." The older woman said playfully.

Andrea pecked her on the lips. "Are you going to tell Rusty about what happened today?"

She nodded. "I will in the morning. He needs to hear the story from me instead of from someone else at the station. For tonight, let's just have a little peace and quiet."

"Sounds fantastic to me," The blonde wrapped an arm around Sharon's waist and headed into the living room for some quality time with her newfound family.


End file.
